some help with fret buzz?

[geodeath]

Hi all!
Although i bought a g&l from a guy here at TB, i have a problem with my first bass, nothing spectacular, just a cheap esp wannabe (esp licensed though) with a metal look. My problem is that the strings buzz a lot.. My action is set low but not as low as it can be, so i dont think it has to do with the action. The strings are almost new, its in tune (always use a tuner) so i am thinking this might have to do with the trussrod setting. Of course, if i set my action high, most of the buzz goes away, but i dont want to shoot arrows with my bass, rather play with it

Now, from all the tutorials i read, most people just say "look at neck" to understand if it needs a left adjustment or a right adjustment. However, i dont have the eyes of the terminator, so i cant really understand the small difference of a neck that needs a slight setup from the neck that is straight. I also read, that straight necks can produce buzz if you play hard, which i do. So i would essentially like to have it a little bowed, just so i dont get buzz all the time. The buzz can happen at any string and (almost) at any fret. I think it gets better at the highest frets though. So, could you please advice as to how i could be sure it indeed needs an adjustment or not? How can i "understand", "see" there is a need for that? The neck being totally black with a dark brown fingerboard doesnt help either!

If parts (or all) of what i say are BS, please do not flame
I am still a newbie, so getting some advice before such adjustments seems the logical way for me

[RCCollins]

stop playing so hard all the time. Turn your volume up and learn to use a light touch for a big sound

[Underworld]

To check if the neck has proper relief (forward bow), just fret one of the strings at the first fret and then with your other hand, fret the same string farther up the neck around the 17th fret or so. The string will stay straight between those two fretted points and is now your reference. Now look at the eighth fret. Is the string touching it or is there a gap between the string and that eighth fret? There should be a slight gap, about the thickness of a business card would be a good place to start. If there is a gap, then the problem is most likely elsewhere. If there is no gap, then the neck is either straight or back-bowed, and needs to be adjusted, as it is contributing to the buzz.

[Ric5]

There are 3 adjustments for your bass. The truss rod, the bridge and the nut. After that try different gauge strings.

[geodeath]

@ RCCollins when i said hard i didnt mean hard as to produce a big sound, rather than hard on the strings due to my playing experience, not necessarily to produce something louder.

Of course playing easier makes part of it go away but still i have to press the strings down the fret hard (i think) to make it stay firm and not buzz.

I am going to check the height between the string and the fret as you suggested, Underworld and come back if it indeed needed a fix.

thanks for the replies guys, appreciate it

update: just tested, found out that holding down the 1st and the 17th fret of the E string, the 8th fret has almost no gap. A normal, paper business card needs a push to go between the string and the fret and when it does, it raises the string. A little, but it does I will probably fix that tomorrow and come back for impressions.

[elBandito]

Or you may have an unrealistic expectation of low action. You can't setup basses like guitars and have to give the thick strings some room to move. On top of that, if you play hard, you're inviting more trouble. Some people's definition of high action is perfectly normal. Since you said high action gets rid of buzz, try playing it that way for a bit and see if it's really unbearable?

Originally Posted by geodeath

My action is set low but not as low as it can be, so i dont think it has to do with the action. The strings are almost new, its in tune (always use a tuner) so i am thinking this might have to do with the trussrod setting. Of course, if i set my action high, most of the buzz goes away, but i dont want to shoot arrows with my bass, rather play with it

Give the neck some more relief and see how that changes anything

[Jon P.]

Originally Posted by geodeath

@ RCCollins when i said hard i didnt mean hard as to produce a big sound, rather than hard on the strings due to my playing experience, not necessarily to produce something louder.

Of course playing easier makes part of it go away but still i have to press the strings down the fret hard (i think) to make it stay firm and not buzz.

I am going to check the height between the string and the fret as you suggested, Underworld and come back if it indeed needed a fix.

thanks for the replies guys, appreciate it

update: just tested, found out that holding down the 1st and the 17th fret of the E string, the 8th fret has almost no gap. A normal, paper business card needs a push to go between the string and the fret and when it does, it raises the string. A little, but it does I will probably fix that tomorrow and come back for impressions.

Make sure you read about how to adjust the relief if you don't know. I think there's a sticky in the setup and repair forum with lost of good links to how to's and illustrations of what's involved. It sounds like you need a little more relief, so you'd want to loosen the truss rod a bit. Remember, "righty tighty," lefty loosy", so you should turn it left. Try small increments, like 1/8th of a turn, and no more than 1/4 turn. You may need to wait a little bit for the neck to move (i.e., for the strings to "pull" more relief into the neck).